The War of the Clans
Unaware of the fate of their clan or their leader, none of the few returned Razielim sensed any inkling of danger in Dumah's presence. Indeed, before Dumah could utter a syllable, Eskandor was knelt upon the floor and well into an account of the scene he had witnessed at Coorhagen. Dumah was troubled by this information. His reaver sentries, stationed at Willendorf, had been silent for some time. Still, he was puzzled by these creatures. They looked like abhorrent wretches, possessing none of the prized visual appeal of Raziel or his brood. But as Eskandor proceeded to divulge the details of how his clan had awoken in a vault and clawed their way to the surface, starved of blood and on the brink of madness, Dumah knew it to be true. These horrid creatures were the very last remnants of his eldest brother's clan - and worse, they brought news of a human uprising. This did not surprise Dumah as the vampires had been embroiled in an internal war. It was only natural that the cattle would try to take advantage of such a distraction. After the Razielim had been erased from the land, it had come time to determine the spoils of the hunt. Turel insisted upon his right as heir to take the most of the prize. Dumah remarked upon his part in the hunting of the Razielim, having contributed the most soldiers to the cause. Melchiah demanded first pickings as the most in need. Zephon touted himself as deserving of the reward for originating the hunt in the first place. Rahab alone advocated for equal division of the spoils. Of course, Melchiah went ignored and none cared to heed Rahab's advice. Physical violence soon erupted between Dumah and Turel and this simple disagreement eventually exploded into outright civil warfare. Dumah and Turel began the conflict, each vying for command of the empire in Kain's absence, but the others quickly saw the need to fight as well if they stood to come away with any advantage. Amidst this strife, humankind went ignored and ultimately regrouped and rose up in retaliation. Taking a private audience with the new Razielim leader, Dumah relayed the tale of Raziel's crimes and the subsequent punishment afflicted upon him and his clan. As Eskandor fed sloppily upon a small human offered to him, regaining some presence of his mind, he came to realize his position. The Razielim were in grave danger. Dumah spoke of Raziel's execution and his clan's demise as the proper consequences of treason, and impressed upon Eskandor that he was lucky to be alive. Acknowledging his clan's weakened state, the Razielim elder swore his loyalty to Dumah. But words were not enough. Dumah ordered Eskandor to prove himself by scouting out the humans who had fallen upon Coorhagen. Leaving his clanmates as starving hostages to the Dumahim clan, he obeyed this order and returned with grave news. What appeared to be at least three separate human armies had joined together in the mountain town of Valeholm. This information at last worried Dumah to a point that, for the first time in centuries, the Council was called together. At the Council's meeting, Zephon viciously demanded the slaughter of the wretched remnants of the Razielim. Melchiah acknowledged their tactical value but suggested their ranks be further thinned to insure obedience. Rahab offered a use for their aerial advantages, suggesting that they attack the heavily-fortified Citadel where the humans otherwise remained untouched. Turel vetoed this plan as foolhardy, for these were untested and weakened troops. Ultimately, it was decided that the surviving Razielim would be welcomed into the Empire's legions and the clans would unite to move against the coastal settlement of Freeport, cutting off human supply chains from the hinterlands. And thus the civil war was officially ended, and a whole new war had just begun. Category:The Age of Hope